Man, 29, arrested for allegedly ransacking Mill Valley church

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Police car with blue lights on the crime scene in traffic urban environment.

MILL VALLEY, Calif. - A 29-year-old Newark man was arrested for allegedly breaking into and laying waste to a Mill Valley church on Tuesday night.

What we know:

Mill Valley Police Department officers were sent about 11:20 p.m. on Tuesday to the area of Oakdale and W. Blithedale avenues for a "reported noise disturbance," according to a department statement.

At the scene, officers found an empty vehicle parked in the roadway with its engine running and "loud music playing," prompting them to search the area for a driver. However, they were not able to find anyone associated with the car.

Further investigation:

The car was parked in front of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, so officers checked the surrounding property, but also came up empty. They then contacted a church representative who told them he saw someone inside "and observed damage to the interior of the building."

Police found 29-year-old Suhail Khojah Siddiqi of Newark inside the church and detained him.

Upon investigating the scene, police found that Siddiqi allegedly entered the church and "caused significant damage to various items of worship."

He was arrested and booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of burglary, committing a hate crime and vandalizing a place of worship.